Three stars on WNBA opening night
The 2024 WNBA season tipped off on Tuesday.
Caitlin Clark debuted, and per Across The Timeline, she became the 20th player in league history to score at least 20 points in their first WNBA game, doing so in the Fever's 92-71 blowout loss to the Sun.
The Aces received their 2023 championship rings and held on for an 89-80 win over the Mercury.
The Liberty rallied for an 85-80 win against the Mystics, while the Lynx pulled away for an easy 83-70 road win over the Storm.
Here are our three stars of the night.
Aces center A'ja Wilson
Of course Wilson started the year in midseason form. The two-time MVP had 30 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and a steal as Las Vegas withstood Mercury guard Diana Taurasi's seven made threes and escaped with a win in its home opener.
Wilson, a five-time All-Star, recently announced her signature Nike shoe after fans criticized the company for its perceived slight with a photo on social media of her in a hooded sweatshirt with "Of Course I Have A Shoe Dot Com" written across the front. Just as with Wilson's footwear, her incredible 2024 opener should come as no surprise. Still, it's great to see her announce it to the world.
Mystics center Shakira Austin
A hip injury limited Austin to 19 games in 2023, but the No. 3 pick of the 2022 WNBA Draft got off to a strong start in her return.
Austin scored Washington's first bucket while drawing a foul on Liberty forward Breanna Stewart. Later, she blocked the 2023 MVP's layup attempt and knocked down a three at the buzzer to give the Mystics a 43-40 halftime lead.
Austin finished with a career-high five blocks as the Mystics gave the defending Eastern Conference champion Liberty, an 11.5-point pre-game favorite, all it could handle.
Sun guard DiJonai Carrington
The refs gave her a solid run in the first quarter, but Carrington was the best defender on Clark in her debut. Clark started 2-of-7 from the floor, and Carrington's skin-tight defense was a key factor.
The guard out of Baylor, currently in her fourth year in the league, finished with two steals and added 16 points. With star forward Alyssa Thomas picking up where she left off with a ninth career triple-double and DeWanna Bonner climbing the all-time scoring list, the Sun was already well-positioned to be one of the league's best teams once again.
But it's Carrington's defense that can raise Connecticut's ceiling to champion contender.
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